UKRAINIAN RHAPSODY In an unassuming storefront in a west Eugene strip mall lies the heart of Eugene's Slavic community: Zolotoy Petushok, or "Golden Rooster" in Russian. Since 1990 this tiny deli has been Eugene's best-kept food secret, serving up a feeling of home to Eugene's expat Russians and Slavs and introducing American customers to the culinary heritage of a vast and diverse region. Jars of canned and pickled vegetables, Russian root beer and sunflower oil are neatly arranged on a long set of metal shelves against the wall. One tiny deli case is filled with kefir (a thin, drinkable yogurt), pastries, European butter and soft farmer's cheese. Another case holds a variety of hard sausages and dried, smoked fish. The shop is clean but small and a bit Spartan. Twenty-five-year-old Darya Sims, an ethnic Ukrainian, and her husband purchased Zolotoy Petushok two months ago. Sims arrived in the U.S. in 2000 for college, became a citizen, joined the Army's airborne division and met her husband while stationed at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Her in-laws live in Florence, and they told her about Zolotoy Petushok last year, urging her to visit it. "I did not believe it!" she says. "I did not expect to see a place like this in Eugene." Sims and her husband had often talked about wanting to run their own store — something European — and when they learned Zolotoy Petushok was for sale they leapt at the opportunity. The store's decorations and atmosphere remind Sims of home. "You can just sit down, drink some tea and talk about life and whatever with the owner. This is a place where I wanted to be as a customer, and I figured this is where I want to work," she says. "This is a hangout place where people can have lunch, have dinner, look around and see what they like and take something home." Sims provides a full menu of appetizers, soups, drinks and desserts for sit-down lunch and dinner service. She frequently travels to Salem to bring back loads of Ararat Bakery's baked goods and maintains a good supply of grocery items like noodles, grains and candies. Her menu highlights the staples of Russian food — hearty meats and vegetables which stick with you and help you survive long northern winters. Delicious bright red borsch, beet soup made with meat or vegetable stock; pelmeni, half moon shaped pillows of dough filled with carrots, potatoes or potatoes and mushrooms and garnished with sour cream. Golubtsi, mouthwatering ground meat rolled into a tender cabbage leaf and baked with tomato sauce. Rich, smoked sausage sautéed with onions and served alongside buttery mashed potatoes. Oh, my gosh, and the handmade baklava. And real, nutty, chewy, slightly sweet dark rye bread! Let your taste buds wander. (3163 W. 11th Ave.; 393-0091) – Vanessa Salvia     Oui! C'est Biologique! | An Inconvenient Fruit | Rockin' Hot Food | Holy Cow-Tastrophe! | Break Out of the Same Old, Same Old | Ukrainian Rhapsody | Welcome to Whiteaker | West Side Slice | Go Ga Ga Over Ga Ya | La Vida Local |Food, Not Fads |